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ORNITHOLOGY. 



5. Order NATATORES.— The Swimming Birds. 



1. Family ANATID^.— The Ducks, Geese, &c. 

 1. Genus PHOENICOPTERUS, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, p. 230 (1766). 



1. Phoenicopterus chilensis, Molina. 



PhoenicopUrus chilensis, MoLlNA, Sagg. Stor. Nat. Chili, p. 203 (2d ed. 1810). 

 Phoenicopterus iynipalliatus, Geoff, et D'Orb. Mag. de Zool. 1833 (not paged). 



Gray's Genera of Birds, III, Plate CLXIII ; Guerin's Mag. de Zool. 

 1833, Ois. Plate II. 



This handsome species of Flamingo appears to be peculiar to the 

 western countries of South America, and is especially numerous in 

 Chili, from which country it is brought in nearly all collections. From 

 the species inhabiting the Atlantic coast, and occasionally visiting 

 Florida {Plioeuicoperus ruber, Linn.), it is readily distinguishable by 

 its comparatively pale colors, which, in fact, assimilate it much more 

 greatly with the Flamingo of the Old World [Phoenicopterus antiquo- 

 rum, Temm.). It is one of several instances of birds inhabiting the 

 western countries of the Continent of America, which bear greater re- 

 semblance to species of Western Europe, than others of the same or 

 nearly allied genera found in Eastern America. 



One of the most interesting of the specimens of this species in the 

 present collection, is that of a young bird, the plumage of which differs 

 in some points from that of the adult, and of which we append a de- 

 scription : Head, neck, and under parts of body, white, with a tinge 

 of brown on the head and upper part of neck ; back pale ashy brown, 

 every feather edged or tipped with dull white, and with their shafts 

 dark brown ; wing-coverts pale red at base, with their tips dark 

 brown. Quills brownish-black; upper tail-coverts and tail, pale red- 

 dish-white. On the wing-coverts, the dark brown-color predominates, 



